Otter Island, SC. May 9^th 1862

Friday Evening.

                       

Dear Friends

                                                Again I sit down to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well, as usual, and hope that this will find you the same. We have moved again. We have now got on Otter Island where Col Welsh is.

 

            I rec'd two letters from you last tuesday the 19^th and 23^rd of Ap^r. they were mailed. I got twelve letters all at once. I got one from Cousin Mary Hurlbut, they were all well out in York State.

 

            I think that we will go into the fort here to drill on the cannons. there was a company of Artillery men in the fort and they went away on the boat that brought us here. I was out on picket duty at the ferry yesterday, when the word came for me to pack up every thing as quick as we could, and come down to the steamboat landing for our Company were going away. So we packed up our things and loaded them into our boat and left. /

there goes the band, for roll call. good night.

 

Sunday Afternoon. May 11^th, 1862

Yesterday I was on guard. Serg^t of the guard. was up all night but had no time to write, and now I am sitting on my knapsack with my portfolio laying on my lap and the sun shining down on the tent, hot enough to roast eggs, (which only cost 15 cents per dozen.) I have been out looking around the Island to day a little. it is a barren swampy hole. there are aligators in the swamps. I was out to day looking for them but did not see any. some of the boys saw one to day about ten feet long. I saw one that they have caught, and they keep them in a barrel. they have two of them. they are about twenty inches long. we thought that it was very warm where we were before, but it is warmer here for there is no shade trees on this Island. there is another mail come to port royal. we will get our mail to night. the news was yesterday that Yorktown was taken. the rebels evacuated the place. some of our men went out on another Island after black berrys. the got four or five bushels, ten men from each compy. there is three Com. on this Island / Com G. Com I. and Com K. it takes ten men from each com. for guard, and one corp^l every day, and two serg'^ts every three days. M. D. Wilson begun to write a sheet to put in this letter but got to lazy to finish it to day. Mile said that he would like to know what sort of a kind of a family that was in his house, and if they had made any line fence up on the hill. Mile says that he aint satisfied with that little piece of a letter, he wants you to write him another letter the next time you write to me.

 

            we cant see the main land from this Island, there is Islands on three sides of us. We are about 35 miles from Charleston. the fort on this Island mounts only five guns, it is a small concern. there is a frigate laying out in the bay with 16 guns on and about 150 men, sailors and marines. Well, I shall have to write again when the mail comes so I will have to bring this from to a close. Direct as before and write often. give my respects to all inquiring friends, if any there be. this from your brother, the soldier boy.

                                   

Wm Chase.     to G. W. Kennedy Esq.

                                               

So good by.

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